Comparing brick prices to the costs of other materials can seem confusing at first, since many other exterior options are priced per square foot, and brick have always been sold by the thousand. But the translation is easy enough. Most residential brick used in Riverside’s Central Virginia market are engineer modular, or “oversize,” and equate at 5.76 brick per square foot. (Other sizes, obviously, yield different numbers).

So a brick with a selling price of, say, $500 per thousand would cost $2.88 per square foot. A brick costing $650 per thousand would cost $3.74 per square foot. As with any other material, the product cost does not include the cost of labor or other materials required for installation. Cost studies conducted by a number of independent organizations have consistently estimated the fully installed cost of brick between $7.00 and $12.00 per square foot, depending on the market and the product selection.  The most recent study currently puts the national average at $8.31 per square foot however the South Eastern United States is typically less. The cost is generally higher than vinyl or fiber cement lap sidings, but lower than natural stone, lower than properly installed manufactured stone, and lower than stucco, both real and synthetic. The actual material and installation cost of a typical three- or four-bedroom home is only a few thousand dollars more than vinyl siding on the same size home.  Brick becomes even more affordable when you factor in the long-term maintenance benefits.